At A Glance
Author	Anonymous
Contact	anonymous
When	N/A
Location	UK

August 25th 2003

It was on this evening that I was sat at my computer slightly bored, taking some time to chat to a friend and review some experience submissions.

Although I am not entirely sure what it is that prompted me to do so, I opened the desk draw containing my box of play piercing needles.

As I ripped off the paper backing of the sterile packaging I still wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with the needle, then an idea just came into my head to see how easy it would be to push the needle through my tongue web.

I didn't expect it to be painful, after all my web is only small and very thin. I withdrew the needle from its hard plastic sheath and inspected it, the bevel looked so smooth and sharp, the needle no thicker than a pin.

I lifted my tongue up and looked at my reflection in the mirror, I checked that I didn't have any large veins in the way and then just pressed the needle against the side of my tongue web, I wasn't pushing hard enough for the needle to pass through the skin, but just the slight amount of pressure was causing the needle to create a tenting effect on the other side. I increased the pressure slightly and before I knew quite what I had done the play piercing needle was through my tongue web.

I couldn't quite believe what I had done, I was salivating more than I had when I had been and gotten my tongue pierced, the needle was uncomfortable, too long for my mouth but I liked how it needle looked.

For a couple of minutes I kept the needle in place, feeling hyperactive and somewhat careless about what I had done I pulled the needle back out and replaced it in it's plastic sheath, then once again I inspected my tongue in the mirror, the hole had now vanished and there was no blood either to give me a clue as to where it had been.

I had managed to take a couple of quick pictures with my digital camera before I removed the needle but the quality was poor and I felt disappointed that I didn't have any better 'proof' that I had pulled off another small piercing.

Within seconds it came to me that I had a 16gauge piercing needle in the desk draw alongside my play piercing needles. I took out the needle and inspected it, still in its plastic sheath and sterile paper wrapping, I hadn't used it for anything so it was still perfectly safe to use for this piercing.

I pulled the paper wrapping off and left it on the desk, removed the plastic sheath and examined the needle, it was much longer than my play piercing needles and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to piercing the web straight due to the angle that needed to be used to get the needle in my mouth and under my tongue.

I sucked my tongue to the roof of my mouth whilst I double checked my web, then I took the needle with the receiving tube still in place and started to push it through my small tongue web.

There was very little pain, in fact I don't remember feeling much if anything as the needle passed through, but the slight step created by the receiving tube was slightly more uncomfortable. As soon as the receiving tube was in place I pulled the needle free and stuffed a cotton wool ball underneath my tongue, I couldn't stop salivating and the thought of looking at myself in the mirror with saliva running down my chin wasn't something that I wanted to see.

As I went to pick up the jewellery that I was going to use, a 14gauge 5mm barbell the receiving tube fell out and twisted my web making me wince slightly, this time the hole was bleeding though so it wasn't a problem trying to get the bar in place.

I was using a larger size barbell so as I pushed it through I could feel the skin stretch slightly, but it wasn't painful. All I had to do now was screw the bead into place - much, much easier said than done.

I tried for 10 minutes to screw the tiny 3mm bead into place, I couldn't get the threads lined up, then I kept dropping it, my nails were too long and I couldn't hold it properly, my tongue barbell was getting in the way, my tongue was hurting from having to turn it up to gain access to the underside; I simply could not get the bead in place so I decided that I'd have to remove my tongue piercing that way the bead wouldn't be in the way.

As I removed my tongue piercing I lost the tongue web barbell, I managed to push it back through the hole but I was still struggling to get the bead in place, so I bit off the offending nails, mopped up the excess saliva with another cotton wool ball and then gave it one last try.

Thankfully this time the threads lined up and I was able to tighten the bead enough to keep the barbell in place, then I picked up my tongue piercing barbell and thread that back in place, thread the bead on and all was done.

For the first day or two I didn't have any problems with the web piercing, I cleaned it with a watered down solution of mouthwash twice a day and refused to knock it with my toothbrush. Talking wasn't a problem, as the barbell was so small it didn't interfere with the pronunciation of any words and it wasn't visible to customers at work, or family at home for that matter.

The few friends and work colleagues that I did show the piercing to didn't understand why I had done it, and several of them didn't even realize that such a piercing was possible. But as time progressed the pain was increasing. It hurt to eat and to talk, hurt to move or lift my tongue and it killed if the tongue barbell knocked against the tongue web, the hole was turning yellow and looked thick with tissue and to sum it up the piercing was more painful than I was willing to put up with, so by the morning of August 29th I had to struggle to remove the bead and free the web from it's piercing.

The relief was almost instantaneous but I do still have a visible thickening of tissue where the hole once was, I don't regret the piercing and I expect that I will do it again.

I have always maintained the thought and attitude that self piercing isn't safe, even though I know I will continue to pierce myself, there are many factors that lead me to doing my own piercings. I only hope that people who read this will take the safe option and decide not to pierce themselves, but to go to a professional, reputable studio and have their piercings performed correctly and safely.